Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has suggested that he is a considering deploying Juan Mata in a new position next season.
The 25-year-old Spaniard has featured largely as a playmaker since arriving at Stamford Bridge in August 2011, but Mourinho is now toying with the idea of playing him wide on the right.
"Of course he fits into my plans," Mourinho told reporters. "I have my idea about him, about where he produces better and where he has more difficulty. We will try to help him perform better in those situations.
I've always liked a right-sided player to be left-footed. I started with [Arjen] Robben and [Damien] Duff, then [Goran] Pandev at Inter, and [Angel] Di Maria and [Mesut] Ozil. Many clubs do it. It's more than a tendency.
"I like wingers coming in on the inside for the penetrative movement, for the pass, for the shot. And Juan is the only player we have to do that on the right."
Mata scored 12 goals in 35 Premier League appearances last season.
Robert Summerscales
